Blue Note

By Michael Henningsen

Music On the Big Screen

Outpost Productions and the Guild Cinema join forces in presenting music-based films throughout October and beyond

From Oct. 4 through 21, the Guild Cinema will be alive with the sound—and sights—of music. Along with Outpost Productions, Albuquerque's only arthouse theater and popular bastion of films the big boys don't have the guts or foresight to play on their corporate-controlled screens will present "Music on the Big Screen," an ongoing series of music-centric documentaries, concert films and cinematic portraits of music makers of every stripe. From jazz pioneers to punk rock legends, "Music on the Big Screen" promises to be a tantalizing event for music and film fans alike. Beginning Monday, Oct. 4, the first three installments in the series will run three to four days each on consecutive weeks in October. The first installment features a trio of jazz-related filmworks.

German videographer Claudia Heuermann begins her myopic on modern music iconoclast John Zorn at the very pinnacle of his notoriety: the now infamous hardcore noise project Naked City. From there, this "film within a film" of sorts progresses through 10 years of Zorn's complex, often confusing musical journeys, featuring performances by Bill Frisell, Fred Frith, Susie Ibarra and others associated musically with Zorn.

Photographer Bert Stern's first foray into filmmaking is a witty, insightful celebration of the 1958 Newport Jazz festival. Includes performance footage of Louis Armstrong, Sonny Stitt, Big Maybelle and others.